Gwen watched several people use gleaming, high-tech mining equipment to haul the last of the rocks and rubble out of the collapsed cave entrance. All of the tools and machinery bore the Coppersmith logo. The same logo was inscribed on the safety helmets, goggles and uniforms worn by the crew.
Tendrils of energy whispered from the opening of the cave. They raised goose bumps on Gwen’s arms. She knew that all four of them felt the faint psi-breeze. At the entrance, the workers hastily moved back.
“Get enough hot energy trapped in a small space and anyone can feel it,” Elias said in low tones. “Even folks who aren’t sensitive.”
One of the men left the group of workers and approached Elias.
“I think there may have been some kind of gas trapped in there, boss,” he said. “Not sure what we’re dealing with here. Want me to send for some test equipment? I can get whatever we need from the Arizona office within a day.”
Elias looked at Judson. “Up to you. Are you okay with going ahead here or do you want to hold off until we see if we can figure out some way to lower the energy levels inside that cave?”
“We both know there’s no practical way to lower heavy psi,” Judson said. “But I think I can get past that. It’s the aurora fire that might be a problem. If that’s still burning, no one will be able to get inside. In that case, all we can do is close up the entrance again to make sure no one wanders into the cavern. I’ll go take a look.”
“I’ll go in with you,” Nick said. “I like hot spots. They give me a rush.”
“Wow, that comes as a shock,” Judson said. He started toward the entrance. “Let’s go.”
Alarm spiked through Gwen. “Hang on, here, maybe we should think about this a little more before you two go galloping off into that cave.”
But Judson and Nick were already heading toward the cave entrance. They pretended not to hear her.
“It’s okay,” Elias said quietly. “They won’t do anything real stupid. At least, I don’t think they’ll do anything stupid.”
“And if they do something stupid?” she asked.
Elias shrugged. “In that case, you and I will have to go in and drag their asses out of that damn cave.”
“Oh,” Gwen said. “Yes. That’s exactly what we’ll have to do.”
They watched Judson and Nick don some safety gear and disappear into the cavern.
“Well, they’re not rushing back out, so it looks like they didn’t run into anything they couldn’t handle,” Elias said.
Gwen surveyed the array of equipment and the crew of workers. She was no expert, but it seemed to her that there were a lot more people standing around than were required to do the job.
“You sure got this project set up in a hurry,” she said. “I’m impressed. This is one of those small islands with a huge government bureaucracy. Doesn’t it usually take days, weeks or even months to get the proper permits before you start doing major earth-moving work in a location like this?”
Elias snorted. “Not when you hire a lot of the locals, spend a lot of money in the local business establishments and pay off the right people all the way down the line. You’d be amazed how fast you can get a project like this going.”
“You’re good, Mr. Coppersmith. Very good.”
“I like to think so.” He paused. “But this project was downright easy.”
“And if it hadn’t gone smoothly, you’d have flown in with a small personal army of private security guards, heavy equipment and all the manpower required to open up that cave for Judson.”
“Well, sure,” Elias said.
“Whatever it took, because he’s your son and you knew he needed to get back inside.”
“Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.” Elias studied the cave entrance through his dark glasses. “I could tell from the way he talked on the phone that it was damn important for him to get back in there.”
“Yes,” she said. “It is.”
Elias rocked on his booted heels. “He’s looking a hell of a lot better now than he did when he first came back from this island.”
She remembered the hot energy that had burned in Judson’s aura the night she had met him for dinner in Seattle.
“Yes,” she said. “He’s fine now.”
“Thanks to you.”
“No, Judson just needed some time to heal after the psi-burn he took here.”
“You helped the process along. Willow and me, we won’t forget what you did for Judson. The family owes you. If you ever need anything, all you’ve got to do is ask.”
She smiled, touched. “Thank you, Mr. Coppersmith. But that favor has already been paid off. Judson helped me close out that unfinished business in Wilby. We’re more than even, believe me.”
“Good.” Satisfaction etched Elias’s craggy face. “Willow says it’s better that way.”
“She’s right,” Gwen said. “This way everyone is free to move on.”
“Yep. Willow says it’s not good for a woman to worry that a man might think he’s in love with her just because she saved him from some bad dreams. She says when it comes to a relationship, a woman needs to know that there’s something deeper and more lasting involved.”
Gwen caught her breath. “Your wife is a very wise woman.”
“She is.” Elias looked at her, sunglasses glinting in the hot light. “I’m not so dumb, either.”
Gwen laughed. “No one would ever call you dumb, Mr. Coppersmith.”
“Judson is in love with you.”
She turned away to look at the cave entrance. “It’s too soon to know.”
“Not for a Coppersmith. The question here is, are you going to break his heart?”
She flushed. “I really don’t think this is the time or place to talk about that sort of thing.”
“Can’t think of a better time or place. It’s a simple question. Are you going to break my son’s heart?”
“Mr. Coppersmith, for heaven’s sake—”
“Willow says that if you do intend to break his heart, it ought to at least be for the right reason—not the wrong one.”
Gwen realized she was starting to get mad. “Assuming I do have that power—which I very much doubt— what would constitute the wrong reason for breaking Judson’s heart?”
“Doing it because you think it’s for his own good,” Elias said. “Worst damn reason in the world.”
She froze. “But, if he doesn’t know his own mind—”
“No such thing as a Coppersmith who doesn’t know his own mind.” Elias broke off and focused his attention on the cave entrance. “Here they come. Doesn’t look like they got fried while they were inside.”
Gwen followed his gaze. Judson and Nick emerged from the cave. Automatically she raised her senses and studied the auras of the two men. They both looked normal—at least as normal as the auras of two powerful talents could look, she thought.
“They’re fine,” she agreed.
Judson stripped off his helmet and put on his sunglasses. He walked to where she and Elias stood. Nick accompanied him, grinning with excitement.
“Still damn intense in there,” he said. “Makes for a great ride.”
Elias looked at Judson. “Find anything?”
“Maybe.” Judson held up an object that looked like a flashlight. “This is the weapon that Spalding used on me. I’ll have Sam and his techs take a look at it.”
Gwen frowned. “But that’s not what you were looking for in your dreamscape.”
“No,” Judson said. He reached into his pocket and removed a slip of paper. “This is what I went down there to find.”
“What’s that written on it?” Elias asked.
“I think the name of a business firm and the town where it’s located,” Judson said. “Anyone ever heard of Jones and Jones in Scargill Cove, California?”
Forty-five
